Harold Koda of the Kyoto Costume Institute gave a lecture the day before Issey came to visit. It was interesting, he drew connections to the multiculturlism of Paul Poiret, the techincal wizardry of Vionnet, and the heavy similiarites of cut, shape, and form from Balenciaga. It makes a lot of sense and in many ways Yohji, Rei, and Issey were the true and most pure "descendants" of those designers then any of the European designers that did literally follow them. A lot of Issey's techniques and ideas regarding fabric and how to manipulate it coincidently (as Koda made sure to point out) parallel Balenciaga.

According to to Issey there were two concepts that guided his clothing: The idea that clothes were a second skin and should behave appropriately, and the idea that there were also a sort exo-skeleton to enhance daily activity. Both ideas where simplifed and executed through his A Piece of Cloth method. It was with this idea that many of his designs were formed. It was the idea of taking a single piece of cloth and through careful engineering and clever design making it into a whole garment. If you look back at some of the images already posted in this thread you can really see it. It's very Balenciaga. This method eventually led to the A-Poc system which in itself is an amazement.

side note: the second skin and exo-skeleton idea can also be seen in his red metal corset garment and his pleats please line respectively.

As Issey said, A-Poc sort of happened on accident in a way. Their design team bought these knitting machines and weren't quite sure what they wanted to do with them. Issey with the help of textile engineers, designers, and computer programmers found a new way to realize his A Piece of Cloth ideas. With the help of Dai Fujiwara he was able to program the machines to knit garments directly into the fabric and you all know the rest!

He was able to share with us the future of A-Poc. They are currently working with material engineers and architects to use the A-Poc system for everything from architecture to car design. Dai Fujiwara is a much a parent of A-Poc as Issey is. Issey has the hope that in the future it won't just be his company that has a hold on the technology and that it will be come the standard means for clothing production. He said that in the future when people are wearing A-Poc clothes we won't know it. When asked about what other dreams and goals he replied "if I were to share them with you they would lose their meaning and specialness" (paraphrased of course).

Oh, and the sells of his perfume are to fund A-poc research. And he gets his trousers from bannana republic.

i love the basic function of the bag...but it seems impractical-the fact that its base is stainless steel...it could be even alumnium...aside from the bulkiness-its very beautiful...bunched cloth nestled in industrial rings... and i like the handle clip. it would be interesting if it was in wood instead...but that create entirely different connotations.

thanks mutterlein...how fantastic to see him speak...what do you think of his previous work? he is definately more of a textile designer-or textile architect-or better yet industrial design because he views fashion with specific goals-form meets function.

a leader in avant guard dressing since the 80s the japanese label comme des garcons has always managed to take the simple sheath and turn it into art. from quasimodo dresses with removable body pads to this black micro-suede bubble dress with strategically placed elastic bands designer rei kawakubo is interested in clothing for a woman, or a man, who has a brain. this simple black sheath is made of a synthetic material that feels like a felted suede - without all the animal cruelty. the jewel neckline and sleeves have 1" elasticized openings which give the wearer endless possibilities of placement, on the shoulder or off. these are also echoed by an off-center elasticized panel in front and back and the elasticized hem. side seam pockets will hold the keys to your audi tt and your platinum credit card so shopping at barneys won't be a problem.

Takada's first work borrowed heavily from traditional Japanese styles but it was his 'big silhouette' designs which drew worldwide attention. His designs made him something of a trendsetter for young fashion. In Japan, he is highly regarded as a pioneer who introduced Japanese fashion design to a world audience. Always very selective of his fabric, Takada in recent years has moved into the design of furniture coverings and household items. In September 1999, he announced that he was handing over the reins of his fashion house to his assistants.